Physician&#39;s examining table



Oct 24, 1967 J. M. KATZFEY ETAL PHYSICIAN'S EXAMINING TABLE 7Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 11, '1965 I I 72118 215715 @mesflffd f [Uarren Jfi zgis 1967 J. M. KATZFEY ETAL 3,

PHYSICIAN S EXAMINING TABLE Flled 00 3,348,893 7 Sheet s-Sheef 3 W H I Hlhuwfilnw H HHHWHHHH HIHH .HH.

Oct 4, 9 J. M. KATZFEY ETAL PHYSICIAN'S EXAMINING TABLE Filed Oct. 11,1965 1967 J. M. KATZFEY ETAL 3,

PHYSI'CIAN'S EXAMINING. TABLE 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Oct. 11, 1965 $3 Q?m .lliTikllfir E Oct. 24, 1967 J. M. KATZFEY ETAL PHYSICIAN'S EXAMININGTABLE 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Oct. 11, 1965 w? m Q H QM mm WNW N? www www1 5 www was g1 QM QN Oct. 24, 1967 J. M. KATZFEY ETAL 3,

I PHYSICIAN'S EXAMINING TABLE Filed Oct. 11, 1965 I 7 Sheets-Sheet e w oo o 4 n F n 1 u A a%$$N&$$Nw-vv$uwm United States Patent 3,348,893PHYSICIANS EXAIVMING TABLE James M. Katzfey and Warren J. Peterson, TwoRivers, Wis, assignors. to Hamilton Manufacturing Company, Two Rivers,Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Oct. 11, 1965, Ser. No. 494,853 16Claims. (Cl. 312-209) This invention relates to physicians examiningtables, and more particularly to apower actuated examining table and toan improved upholstered top for such a table.

Physicians examining tables presently in use usually comprise a cabinetwhich rests on the floor and an upholstered top which is secured to thetop of the cabinet. The top is frequently provided in two sections whichare hingedly connected together.

Such tables have a fixed height, which is usually designed for theconvenience of a physician of average height. However, a table of thisheight is very often inconvenient for a patient because considerableeffort may be required of the patient to climb onto it. In the case of apatient suffering from a heart condition, considerable danger to thepatients health may be involved, and this may also be true for a veryheavy patient. Very frequently, a physician must permit such a patientto rest for, say, fifteen minutes after he has climbed onto the table,until the patients pulse rate settles down, before beginning hisexamination.

Similar difficulties are also encountered after the patient is in asitting position on top of the table and must be placed in a recliningposition. For heart patients and very heavy persons, it is oftendangerous as Well as diflicult to go from a sitting position to areclining position and, later, vice versa while on an examining table.

Further the longitudinal upper edges of the upholstered top of anexamining table are usually round and gradually slope downwardly fromthe upper level of the top. For a very young and also for very oldpatients, such a contour is not desirable because such a patient mayeasily roll over an edge and accidentally fall oif the table, or atleast be fearful that he might do so.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide a physiciansexamining table including power means for raising the table from arelatively low level at which a patient may sit down on the table aswhen sitting down on a chair, to a higher level which is more convenientfor the physician.

Another object is to provide a table of the foregoing character, whichis exceptionally stable at all levels.

Still another object is to provide a table of the foregoing character,wherein the power means takes up very little space and does not decreasethe amount of space available for cabinets.

A still further object is to provide a physicians examining tableincluding an articulated upholstered top, and compact power means forpivoting at least one section of the top.

Still a further object is to provide a physicians examining tableincluding an improved, articulated upholstered top, including meanstending to prevent a patient from accidentally rolling off the table.

A still further object is to provide an improved top of the foregoingcharacter, which gives a patient a feeling of security while recliningon it.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingfigures of the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an examining table embodying theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the table;

3,348,893 Patented Get. 24, 1967 FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary endview of the foot end of the table;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 44 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 5 is a view taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an end view of the head end of the table;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are further enlarged fragmentary views of portions of thetable;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of the table;

FIG. 10 is a view of the underside of the top of the table;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary View of another portion of the table;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view taken on the line 13-13 of FIG. 12;

FIG. 14 is a sectional View, on a reduced scale, taken on the line 14-14of FIG. 15;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on th line 15-15 of FIG.14;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary plan view, with portions broken away of thestructure shown in FIG. 15; and

FIGS. 17 to 19 are schematic diagrams showing the electrical wiring ofthe table.

In general, a physicians examining table in accordance with theinvention comprises a base adapted to rest on the floor, a top supportsupported by the base, and an articulated top secured to the topsupport. A first power unit and mechanism actuated thereby connects thecabinet to the base for varying the height of the cabinet and the top,and second power unit and mechanism actuated thereby connects oneportion of the top to the cabinet F for varying the inclination of thatportion of the top.

Both of the power units and mechanisms are exceptionally steady and arevery compact.

The construction of the upholstered top is such that it presents a veryneat and attractive appearance, and at the same time is sturdy andresists wear. The upper surface of the top is raised at the head end andat the longitudinal edges, the latter giving a patient reclining on thetop a feeling of security. The top includes a head end section and afoot end section which are hingedly connected together, and theconstruction of the hinge connection being such that a neat appearanceis presented whether the two sections are horizontal or whether one ofthe sections is inclined. Further, there are no areas of the top whichare more subject towear due to the hinging than other areas.

In greater detail, a physicians examining table embodying the inventioncomprises a base 21 which is adapted to rest on the floor, a cabinet 22which is supported by the base 21, and an upholstered top 23 which issecured to the upper surface of the cabinet 22. The cabinet 22 isgenerally rectangular and preferably has storage space formed therein,such as a plurality of drawers 24 and 25 and a shelf which is closed bya door 27. The cabinet 22 also preferably supports stirrups 28 and 29and additional accessories such as a treatment pan 31. An electricalcontrol panel 32 is also mounted in the cabinet 22 for the purpose to bedescribed hereinafter. In addition to the control panel 32, an auxiliaryfloor control panel 32' may also be provided.

The base 21 comprises two longitudinally extending, laterally spacedpedestals 33 and 34, the two pedestals being parallel and substantiallyidentical, and each being of an inverted T shape and each having a flatlower surface which rests on the floor. Adjacent both ends of eachpedestal are raised portions or projections 36 and 37 having holes 38formed therethrough adapted to receive screws 3? which pivotal-1yconnect the pedestals 33 and 34 to a first power actuated mechanism forraising and lowering the cabinet 22 relative to the pedestals 33 and 34.The projections 36 are located at the foot end of the table and theprojections 37 are located at the head end of the table. The previouslyreferred to control panels 32 and 32' control the operation of first andsecond power units which respectively. actuate the mechanism for movingthe cabinet and a second power actuated mechanism for varying theinclination of a portion of the upholstered top 23 as will be describedhereinafter.

The first power unit and mechanism is designed to move the cabinet, whenenergized, between a lowered position shown in full lines in FIG. 2where a patient may sit down on the top of the table, and a raisedposition shown in dashed lines in FIG. 2 Where a patient is at a heightwhich is convenient for the examining physician. One advantage of thefirst power actuated mechanism employed will beapparent in FIG. 2 whereit will be noted that the amount of longitudinalmovement of the cabinetrelative-to the pedestals is relatively small as compared with thevertical movement of the cabinet. This is advantageous becauserelatively little clearance need be provided at the ends of theexamining table to accommodate the longitudinal shift of the cabinetwhen it is raised or lowered.

The first power actuated mechanism comprises a foot end frame 41 and ahead end frame 42 which are pivotally connected to the pedestals 33 and34 at their lower ends and are pivotally connected to a pair oflongitudinally extending, laterally spaced base rails 43 and 44 at theirupper ends. The foot end frame 41,:comprises a pair of laterally spacedarms 46 and 47 (FIGS. 3 and and a laterally extending cross brace 48 inthe form of a cylindrical tube, and the head end frame 42 similarlycomprises a pair of laterally spaced arms 51 and 52 and a cross brace 53(FIGS. 5 and 6). Each ofthe arms 46, 47, 51 and 52 are rigidly securedas by welding to the associated cross braces 48 and 53 and may be madefrom generally rectangular tubing. At the lower end of each arm, the twolaterally extending walls 55 are cut out (FIG. 8) and the twolongitudinally extending walls 58 are positioned adjacent thelongitudinally extending side surfaces of the associated projections 36and 37 of the pedestals 33 and 34.

FIG. 8 shows the connection of the arm 51 with the associated projection37 which is identical with the pivotal connections between the otherarms and the associated projections. As previously stated, eachprojection has a hole 38 formed therethrough, and prior to assembly ofthe arm 51 with the projection 37, an internally threaded bushing 56 isrotatably positioned within the hole 38. Holes 57 are formed through thetwo longitudinally extending walls 58 at the lower end of the arm 51,and the walls 58 are positioned adjacent and overlie the outer endsurfaces of the bushing 56. Felt washers 59 are preferably positionedaround the bushing 56 between the walls 58 and the projection 37.Afterthe holes 57 have been lined up with the hole through the bushing56, spanner screws 39 are placed through the holes 57 and are threadedinto the bushing 56. A lock washer 61 is preferably positioned betweeneach wall 58 and the head of the associated screw 39 to lock the screws39 against accidental disengagement. Thus, after assembly, the weight ofthe arms 51 is supported by the screws 39 and the screws 39 are in turnsupported by the bushing 56 and the projection 37. To assist indisassembling the arm 51 from the projection 37,. a hole 62 is formed inthe projection 37 from its outer surface to the interior of the hole,38, and ahole 63 is formed through the bushing 56, the two holes 62 and63 being located such that they may be lined up upon rotation of the.

bushing 56 to a proper position. Thus, to disassemble the pivotalconnection shown in FIG. 8, a pin may be inserted through the hole 62and into the hole 63 to prevent the. bushing 56 from turning, andthereafter thescrews 39 may beunthreaded from the bushing 56.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, two laterally extending sides 55 of each ofthe arms 46, 47, 51 and 52 are preferably cut away to the pointsindicated by the numeral 64 so thatthe arms may be pivoted relative tothe pedestals 33 and 34 without the laterally extending sides 55 of thearms engaging the projections 37 and 38. The

ends of the cross brace 48 are provided with plates 66 thesicles of theassociated plates 66 and 67. As shown in FIG. 5, the base rail 43 isconnected to the pins 68 at one side of the table and the base rail 44is connected to the pins 68 at the other side of the table. Each of thebase rails 43 and 44 (FIG. 7) comprises. a generally U-shaped channelmember having one vertically extending relatively long arm 69 and arelatively short arm 70', the long arm 69 being adjacent the plates 66and 67.1I-Ioles 71 are formed through the long arm 69 and the pins 68extend through the holes 71. Holes 72arealso formed in the short arm 70of the rails and the ends of the pins 68extend into the holes 72.Adjacent the upper end of the long arms 69 of the rail 43 is weldedchannel members or brackets 73, the brackets 73 having arms 74 whichextend longitudinally of the table in a vertical plane. To attach thecabinet 22 to the first power actuated mechanism, the longitudinallyextending, vertical sides of the cabinet 22, indicated generally by thenumeral 76, are

rabbeted at 79, and the short arm 70 of the rails 43 and.

44 extends into the rabbets 79, so that the outer surfaces of the sides76 slightly overhang the outer surfaces of the base rails 43 and 44.While theforegoing description has dea-ltprimarily with the constructionof rail 43, it should be understood that it is equally applicable torail 44.

The two frames 41 and 42 are positioned such that; the arms 46, 47, 51and 52 extend parallel to each other,. and the two frames 41 and 42 areconnected together by a thrust member in the form of thrust tube 81which? maintains this parallel relation and which is located ad-- jacentone side of the cabinet; The thrust tube 81. (FIGS.- 4 and S) ispositioned over the two cross braces 48 and- 53 and is pivotallyconnected to the braces 48 and 53 by means of two pairs of arms 82 and83. The arms 82- are secured as by welding to the cross brace 48 andextend substantially upwardly therefrom, and the arms 82 are pivotallyconnected to one .end of the thrust tube 81 by four sides of aparallelogram, the corners of which are defined by the axes of the pins39 and the pins 84 and 86. To swing the two frames 41 and. 42 about theaxes ofthe pins 39, and thus raise or lower the base rails 43 and 44which are suspended from the upper ends of the frames 41 and 42,mechanism is provided including another pair of channel-shaped arms 91(FIG. 4) which are rigidly secured as by welding to the cross brace 48and extend generally parallel to the arms 82. Another pair ofchannel-shaped arms 92 are rigidly secured to the other cross brace 53.While the arms 91 extend generally upwardly and toward the foot end fromthe brace 48, the other arms 92 extend generally downwardly and towardthe head end from the other brace 53, the arms 91 and 92 beingsubstantially parallel with each other. Further, the one set of the arms91 and 92 is longer than the other. In the present instance, the arms 91are approximately twice as long as the arms 92.

When the frames 41 and 42 are pivoted around the axes of the pins 39,the arms 91 and 92, being rigidly secured to the frames 41 and 42,respectively, also swing about the axes of the pins 39, and since thearms extend in opposite directions, the distance between the outer endsof the arms 91 and 92 changes as the frames 41 and 42 are pivoted. Whenthe frames 41 and 42 are upwardly inclined from the projections 36 and37, the distance from the outer ends of the arms 91 to the outer ends ofthe arms 92 is greater than when the frames 41 and 42 are substantiallyhorizontal. Since the cabinet is suspended from the upper ends of theframes, the cabinet will be in the raised position shown in dashed linesin FIG. 2 in the former instance and will be in the lowered positionshown in full lines in the latter instance. This change in the distancebetween the outer ends of the arms 91 and 92 is utilized to effect araising and lowering of the cabinet relative to the base. The unequallengths of the arms changes the rate of pivotal movement of the frameswith change in the distance between the ends of the arms.

A first hydraulic unit, indicated generally by the numeral 93,comprising a cylinder 94 and a longitudinally movable piston (not shown)having a connecting rod 96 secured thereto is provided for moving theends of the arms 91 and 92 toward and away from each other. A solenoidactuated valve indicated generally by the numeral 95 controls the flowof fluid into and out of the cylinder 94. The outer end of theconnecting rod 96 is pivotally connected by means of pin 97 to the arms91 adjacent their outer ends, and the cylinder 94 is pivotally connectedto the outer ends of the arms 92 by means of a link 98 and a stabilizerarm 99. The link 98 and the arm 99 (FIG. 5) are pivotally connected tothe arms 92 by means of a pin 101, and the other end of the link 98 isconnected to the cylinder 94 by means of still another pin 102. Thestabilizer arm 99 is also connected to the arms 92 by the pin 101 and tothe cylinder 94 by the pin 102 and the stabilizer arm 99 extendslongitudinally beyond the pin 102 alongside of the cylinder 94 issecured to the cylinder by means of a strap 103. Thus, the stabilizerarm 99 holds the cylinder 94 and the link 98 in longitudinal alignmentduring operation. Further, since the connecting rod 96 may move onlylongitudinally relative to the cylinder 94, the assembly including thehydraulic unit 93, the link 98 and the stabilizer arm 99 all extend in astraight line between the pins 97 and 101.

When it is desired to raise the cabinet 22, the valve 95 is opened and amotor is energized to drive a fluid pump in one direction. The fluid isforced into the cylinder in front of the piston, that is, into the leftend of the cylinder as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and at the same time thefluid in the cylinder behind the piston flows out of the cylinder. Thepiston and the connecting rod 96 are forced longitudinally toward thefoot of the table relative to the cylinder, and, consequently, thedistance between the pins 97 and 101 is increased. As previouslyexplained, this increase in distance causes the cabinet 22 to rise.

When the desired height is reached, the pump motor is deenergized andthe valve 95 is closed. The fluid in the left end or" the cylinder isthen prevented by the valve from leaking out of the cylinder from infront of the piston, and consequently the mechanism is locked in theraised position.

To lower the cabinet, the pump motor is energized in the oppositedirection and the valve 95 is again opened. The pumping action and theweight of the cabinet cause the piston and the connecting rod to moveback into the cylinder as the fluid fiows out of the cylinder from infront of the piston and into the cylinder at the back of the piston. Theelectrical and hydraulic circuits for eifecting the foregoing movementswill be described hereinafter.

The first power unit and the mechanism for raising and lowering thecabinet have numerous advantages. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, they arerelatively compact and are located primarily within the outline of thecabinet 22. Only the arms 46, 47, 51 and 52 may be seen by a personstanding adjacent the table, and these arms are not unsightly and areeasy to keep clean of dust.

The unit and mechanism do not substantially interfere with or detractfrom the amount of storage space normally provided in such cabinets.FIGS. 3 and 6 show that only portions of the arms 91 and the connectingrod 96 are above the main bottom Wall 22 of the cabinet 22, and theseportions take up little space at the rear side of the table.

Another advantage is that there is relatively little longitudinalmovement of the cabinet due to the vertical movement. The cabinet swingson the upper ends of the frames and since the frames move betweenhorizontal and inclined positions, there is relatively little horizontalmovement.

Still another advantage is that the cabinet is exceptionally steady, orstable, even though it is movably mounted. The mechanism employ pivotalconnections, as distinguished from sliding, screw or gear connections,and the pivotal axes are horizontal and the pivotal connections arewidely spaced. Further, the arms 46, 47, 51 and 52 are always inclinedfrom the vertical, and the combination of these factors makes the tablevery stable.

The upholstered top 23 is mounted on the upper surface of the cabinet22, and includes a head end section 111 (see FIGS. 1 and 9) and a footend section 112, both of the sections 111 and 112 being hingedlyconnected to the cabinet 22. With reference to FIG. 11, the head endsection 111 comprises a substantially fiat, generally rectangularsupport member 113 which may be made, for example, of a sheet ofplywood, and two longitudinally extending aprons 114 and 115 whichextend adjacent the two longitudinal sides of the member 113, and alaterally extending apron 115' adjacent the head end of the table, theaprons being U-shaped channels which are secured to the underside of thesupport member 113. Adjacent the head end of the section 111, thesupport member 113 is cut out as indicated at 116 to provide space for aroll 1' 7 of tissue.

Similarly, the foot end section 112 also includes a support member 117which may also be made of plywood, and two longitudinally extendingaprons 118 and 119 which are secured to the underside of the member 117.The aprons 118 and 119 are similar to the aprons 114 and 115 and arepositioned, when the head and foot end sections 111 and 112 arehorizontally disposed, in endto-end alignment with aprons 114 and 115.

The head and foot end sections 111 and 112 are hingedly fastened to thecabinet 22 by two hinge plates 121 and 122 (FIGS. ll, 15 and 16) each ofwhich is in the form on an angle. A horizontal arm of each of the plates121 and 122 is rigidly secured to the cabinet 22 as by bolts or screwsand the other or vertical arm of each of the hinge plates 121 and 122extends upwardly laterally outside the adjacent ends of the aprons 114,115, 118 and 119. On the inner face of the vertical arm of each of thehinge plates 121 and 122 is rigidly secured a plate 123 which extendsupwardly above the upper edge of the associated plate 121 or 122, andeach of the plates 123 has a pair of longitudinally spaced holes formedtherethrough, which receive pivot pins 124 and 125. The pins 124 arealso pivotally connected to the aprons 114 and 115 of the head endsection 111, by means of fingers 127 which are secured to the aprons 114and 115 and extend upwardly above the aprons and between the adjacentends of support members 113 and 117, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 15. Thepair of fingers 127 have holes formed therethrough which pivotallyreceive the pins 124. Similarly, the foot end section 112 is pivotallyconnected to the mounting brackets 121 and 122 by other fingers131 whichare secured to the aprons 118 and 119 adjacent the brackets 121 and 122.The fingers 131 also extend upwardly above the upper surface of theaprons 118 and 139 and have holes formed therethrough which receive thepins 126. Thus, the foot end section 112 may be pivoted about ahorizontal axis defined by the two pins 126, and the head end section111 may be pivoted about another horizontal axis defined by the pins124.

The table further includes a second power unit and mechanism for varyingthe inclination of the head end section 111 between a substantiallyhorizontal position, shown in dashed lines in FIG. 9, through anintermediate position, shown in full lines of FIG. 9, and asubstantially vertical position, shown in dash-dot lines in FIG. 9. Themechanism includes a lever 136 which is pivotally connected to thecabinet 22 and movably connected to the underside of the head endsection 111. The lever 136 (FIGS. 9 and 12) comprises a pair of parallelarmsor rods which are pivotally connected by a pin 137 to two laterallyspaced vertically extending walls 139 of a frame 138. The frame 135 is alongitudinally extending member which is secured to the cabinet 22 belowthe upper surface of the cabinet, as shown in FIG. 6. The pin 137 islocated substantially at the lateral center of the top wall of thecabinet, which wall is cut out to receive the frame 138. When the headend section 111 is in the horizontal position, the lever 136 extends,from the pin 137, upwardly and toward the head end of the table. Asshown in FIG. 9, the lever 136 is bent substantially midway between itsends such that it bows downwardly when the head end section 111 is inthe horizontal position.

At the outer or free ends of the two rods forming the lever 136, aroller 141 is rotatably connected to the lever 136 by a pin 142 (FIGS. 6and9). A longitudinally extending guide 143, in the form of a downwardlyopening channel (FIGS. 6, 9 and is secured to the underside of the headend section 111, and the roller 141 rolls along the length of the web ofthe guide 143 as the head end section 111 is pivoted. The edges of thevertically extending arms of the guide 143 are turned inwardly asindicatedat 144 (FIGS. 6 and 10), and the ends of the pin 142 normallyextend between the portions 144 and the web of the guide 143 while thehead end section 111 is inclined so that the head end section may notaccidentally become disengaged from the lever 136. At the end of theguide 143, which is adjacent the head end of the table, the verticalarms of the guide 143 are cut away as indicated at 146 (FIGS. 9 and 10),so that the outer ends of the pin 142 may be disengaged from the guide143 when the head end section 111 is in the horizontal position. Thus,if it is desired to disengage the head end section 111 from the lever136, the head end section is first moved to horizontal position and thenthe head end section 111 may be manually lifted upwardly into aninclined position without moving the lever 136'.

To pivot the head end section 111 upwardly to an inclined position,using the second power actuated mechanism, a second hydraulic unit 150(FIGS. 6, 9 and '12) is connected to the lever 136 to pivot the lever136 about the axis of the pin 137. The hydraulic unit tl-is similar tothe unit 93, and comprises a cylinder 151, a piston (not shown) withinthe cylinder, a solenoid actuated Valve 155 and a connecting rod 152connected to the piston. The cylinder 151 and the connecting rod 152extend longitudinally of the table and are positioned within the frame138 as shown in FIG. 12. The end of the cylinder, 151 which is adjacentthe head end of the table is secured to the frame 133 by means of amounting bracket 15.3 and a pin-154. The connecting rod 152 is movabletoward and away from the foot end of the table relative to the cylinder151, and a yoke 156-is secured to the outer end of the connecting rod152. A link 157 is positioned between the arms of the yoke 156 andoneend of the link 157 is pivotally connectedto the yoke 156'by a pin 158.The other end of the link 157 is positioned between thearms of the lever136 and is pivotally connected to the lever 136 by still anotherpin:159. The connection of the link 157 with the lever 136 is at a pointwhich is approximately one-fourth the distance from the pin 137 to. the,rollers 141, as shown in FIG. 9. Further, the pin 158 carries a pair ofrollers 161 which are connected to the outer ends of the pin 158 on theoutside of the arms of the yoke 156.

With reference to FIG. 9, assume that the head end section 111 isinitially in the horizontal or lower position shown in dashed lines,where the connecting rod 152 is.

retracted into the cylinder 151 and the lever 136 is substantiallyhorizontal. To raise the head end section 111 the 1 out of the cylinderfrom in back of the cylinder. The connecting rod 152 and the rollers 161move longitudinally toward the foot end of the table, the rollers 161rolling:

along the bottom wall 162 of the-frame 138 during such movement. The endof the link 157, which is connected to the pin 158 also moves.longitudinally toward the foot end of the table, and such movementcauses the link 157 to exert a force on the lever 136 tending to pivotthe lever 136 in the clockwise direction as seen in FIG. '9,

around the axis of the pin 137. The lever 136 is urged in the clockwisedirection because the pin 159 is located above a line drawn between thepins 158 and 137 and the distance between the latter two pins decreasesas the connecting rod 152 is moved toward the foot end of the table.Thus, the pin 159 and the lever 136 pivot about the axis of the pin 137as the connecting rod 152 is forced toward the foot end of table, andupward swinging movement of reaches a desired position, the valve 155 isclosed and the motor is deenergized thereby locking the section 111 atthat position. Subsequent opening of the valve 155 and energization ofthe .pump motor in the opposite direction cause the fluid to be drawnout of the cylinder from in front of the cylinder andto be introducedinto the cylinder at the back of the piston. The piston and theconnecting rod 152 then retract into the cylinder 151. When the head endsection 111 is in the horizontal position, it is supported on the upperwall of the cabinet by a pair of resilient bumpers or cushions 166(FIGS. 6 and 9) which are secured to the lower sides of-the apronsections 114 and adjacent the head end of a table.

The foot end section 112. of the top is normally in the horizontalposition as shown in FIG. 11, and is supported at one end by the pins126 and adjacent its other end by t a pair of resilient cushions 167(FIGS. 6 and 9). A generally rectangular laterally extending supportblock 168" is hingedly connected to the upper surface of the cabinet 22underneath the cushions 167. The width of the block 168 is substantiallygreater than its thickness, and when the block 168 is placed in oneposition its-uppermost surface under the cushions 167 is relatively lowand the foot end section 112 is substantially horizontal. To place the ifoot end section 112 in a slightly inclined position, the

9 hinged block 168 is pivoted to place it on edge where its uppermostsurface is higher than formerly, and the cushions 167 are then supportedby the block 168 at a higher level.

With reference to FIGS. 1 and 10, the foot end section 112 has a cutoutsection 171 at its end which is adjacent the foot of the table, and thecutout section 171 is designed to receive an insert 172. A pair ofbrackets 173 are secured to the foot end section 112 at the margin ofthe cutout 171 and are designed to extend underneath and support theinsert 172.

The upper surface of the top 23 is upholstered and covered with arelatively tough wear resistant material such as vinyl and theupholstering is designed to give a patient lying on the top a feeling ofsecurity and possibly to restrain a person from accidentally rolling offof the top. Over the support members 113 and 117 is provided a flatrectangular sheet 176 (FIGS. 11 and 14) of resilient material such asfoam rubber. The sheet 176 extends from the foot of the table up into apoint 179 which is spaced from the head end of the table. Adjacent thehead end of the table, at the portion of the support member 113containing the cutout for the roll 177 of tissue shown in dash lines inFIG. 11, the support member 113 is built up by placing an additionalsheet 178 of a material such as plywood over the top of the sheet 113and securing it thereto as by gluing. The cutout 116 is thus then formedin both the sheet 113 and the sheet 178, and the sheet 176 of foamrubber extends up to the sheet 178 of the support means. In the lateraldirection (FIG. 14), the sheet 176 extends to the points indicated bythe numerals 181 and 182 (see FiG. 14), which points are laterallyspaced from the longitudinally extending side edges of the supportmembers 113 and 117. As shown in FIG. 11, the sheet 176 extends over thegap formed between the adjacent ends of the sheets 113 and 117.

Secured to the upper surface of the sheet 176, as by gluing, is a cover183 which may be made of a relatively though material such as vinyl. Thesheet 183 extends completely over the upper surface of the sheet 176,and at both longitudinally extending side edges of the sheet 176, thecover 183 includes an upper flap 184 and an inner flap 186 (FIG. 14).Similarly at the head end of the table (FIG. 11), the cover 183 extendsbeyond the point 179 and includes an upper flap 187 and a relativelyshort inner flap 188. At the foot end of the table, the cover 183 issufficiently long to be folded over the end of the sheet 176 andunderneath the support member 117.

Between the longitudinally extending side edges of the sheet 176 and theadjacent longitudinal edges of the support members 113 and 117 arepositioned two foam rubber wedges 191 and 192 (FIG. 14). After thewedges 191 and 192 have been placed on the support members 113 and 117,the inner flaps 186 (FIG. 14) are folded over the tops of the wedges 191and 192 and secured to the upper surfaces of the support members 113 and117 adjacent the longitudinally extending side edges of the supportmembers, as by stapling the flaps 186 to the support members 113 and117. Thereafter, additional foam rubber wedges 193 and 194 arepositioned over the tops of the inner flaps 186, and the outer flaps 184are folded over the tops of the wedges 193 and 194 downwardly over thelongitudinal side edges or" wedges 193 and 194 and the longitudinal sideedges of the members 113 and 117, and underneath the bottom surfaces ofsuppport members 113 and 117, and are secured to the members 113 and 117as by stapling. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 14, a head 1% is preferablyformed on the outer flaps 184 and is located such that these flaps arein the proper position to be secured to the undersides of the supportmembers 113 and 117 when the beads 196 are at the lower longitudinalcorners of the support members 113 and 117. The bead 1% preferably 18extends entirely around the cover 183, including the pottions of thecover of the head end and at the foot end of the table, as shown in FIG.11.

As shown in FIG. 14, the wedges 193 and 194 have a substantial verticaldimension adjacent the side edges of the table, and the construction ofthe wedges 191 to 194 is such that the upper surface of the cover ishighest adjacent the longitudinally extending side edges of the top andslope downwardly and laterally inwardly to the points 181 and 182.Between the points 181 and 182, the upper surface of the top issubstantially flat, and a patient lying on the top 23 would normally bebetween the two points 181 and 182. While the wedges 131 to 194 areresilient, they are nevertheless firm enough to provide some resistancein the event a patient tended to roll off the top. Whether or not apatient tended to roll off the top, the presence of the raised sidesalone is sufiicient to give a patient a feeling or sense of securitywhile reclining on the top.

At the head end of the table, a pillow is formed by a relatively largefoam rubber wedge 202 (FIG. 11) which extends laterally of the table ontop of the member 178 of the support means 113 and between the point 179and the head end of the table. Underneath the edge of the wedge 202,which is adjacent the point 179 the member 178 is slanted downwardly anda relatively small foam rubber wedge 203 is positioned over the slantededge of the member 178, and the inner flap 188 is stretched over the topof the wedge 203 and secured as by stapling to the member 178. At theends of the wedge 202 additional wedges are positioned on top of themember 178, and then the outer flap 187 is laid over the tops of thewedges 202 and the additional wedges at the ends thereof, downwardlyover the sides of these wedges, and folded underneath the support means113 and secured thereto as by stapling. The wedge 202 and the additionalwedges at the head end of the table thus provide a pillow which extendslaterally across the head end of top and, as shown in FIG. 1, the raisedside edges of the top blend smoothly into the pillow portion.

After the cover 183 has been secured to the support members 113 and 117,a plate 204 (FIGS. 10 and 11) is positioned on the underside of thesupport member 113 and secured thereto and a plate 285 is positioned onthe underside of the support member 117 and secured thereto. The plates204 and 205 may be sheets of relatively thin, hard plastic, and theyoverlap the edges of the cover 183 on the underside of the top. Theplates 204 and 205 extend longitudinally to the space or gap between theadjacent ends of the support members 113 and 117, and a laterallyextending piece 206 of fabriclike material is positioned over the gap atthe underside of the top and covers the gap. The aprons and the guide143 are positioned on the lower side of the plates 204 and 205 and aresecured to the support members.

Since the cover 183 extends longitudinally across the gap or spacebetween the two support members 113 and 117, at both the sides and theunderside of the top, special precautions must be taken to preventtearing or excessive wear of the cover 183 at the hinge connection ofthe sections 111 and 112 with the cabinet. This is especially true inthe present construction where the hinge axes for the two sections 111and 112 are longitudinally spaced apart and are spaced upwardly from thelower surface of the top. To this end, two flexible bridging elements210 and 211 are provided, which extend across the gap between theadjustment ends of the support members 113 and 117 at the longitudinallyextending side edges of the members 113 and 117. As shown in FIGS. 14 to16, the side edges of the two support members 113 and 117, adjacent thegap, are notched as indicated at 212 and 213. The bridging elements havesubstantially the same thickness as the support members 113 and 117, andthe width of the notches is substantially equal to the width of thebridging elements. In the present instance the bridging elements aresubstantially square in cross section as shown in FIG. 14. When the headendand foot end sections 111 and 112 are in the horizontal positions,the bridging elements extend longitudinally of the table and aresubstantially flush with the upper and lower surfaces of the supportmembers 113 and 117, and flush with the side edges of the supportmembers. As shown in FIGS. 15 and 16, the bridging elements 210 and 211are secured at their ends to the support members 113 and 117 byrelatively long staples 214 which extend laterally inwardly from theside edges of the bridging elements through the bridging elements andinto the two support members 113 and 1.17. Thus, the ends of the twobridging elements are rigidly secured to the support members 113 and 117but are free to flex in their central portions when one of the twosections 111 or 112 is raised or lowered.

The bridging elements 210 and 211 are made of a material such as vinyl,and are flexible so that they may be bent in a smooth curve. Since thecover 183 overlies the elements at the sides and the underside of thetop, the bridging elements and the portions of the cover at the hingeconnection will be bent in smooth curves when one or both of thesections 111 or 112 are inclined. Such a smooth curve does not result inareas of the cover 183 which might be likely to wear out rapidly, and itpresents a very neat appearance, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 9, because thereis no gap between the two sections 111 and 112 and there is a smoothcurve between them when one or both of the two sections are raised.

As previously stated, the power units for raising and lowering thecabinet and for Varying the inclination of the head endsection 111 ofthetop, comprise, in the present instance, hydraulic units. A pump andmotor assembly for actuating the hydraulic units is located in a powerpack 226 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) which is positioned underneath the cabinet22 and is secured to the two base rails 43 and 44 by three braces 227,228 and 229. The braces 227 and 228 are secured to the base rail 43 and,as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, from the rail 43 the braces 227 and 228extend upwardly and are then bent to extend laterally inward over thetop of the thrust tube 81 to the power pack 226. The third brace 229 isrigidly secured to the other base rail 44 and from the rail 44., thebrace 229extends laterally inwardly underneath the cylinder 94, thenupwardly to the upper side of the power pack 226 to which it is secured.The power pack 226 comprises a pan 232 and a cover 233 which enclose apump and a motor. Suitable electrical and hydraulic connections betweenthe power pack 226, the cylinders and the control panels are pro vided,such connections being conventional and not shown in the drawings forthe sake of clarity of the drawings. Portions 231 and 231 of thehydraulic connections for the cylinder 94 are shown in FIG. 5. Eachhydraulic cylinder 94 and 151 has a fluid connection at each end thereoffor fluid flow on both sides of the associated piston, and an electricalconnection to a solenoid actuated fluid valve located at the end of thecylinder, which is away from the connecting rod.

FIG. 17 shows the electrical wiring of the examination table. Theapparatus comprises a chassis 236 which is mounted within the cabinetbehind the control panel 32. A pair of conventional electrical outlets237 and 238 are mounted on the chassis such that they are accessiblefrom the front of the panel 32. The chassis 236 also carries aswitch 239which is also accessible from the front of the panel and is preferablyof the type that is illuminated when it is turned on, the switch 239being connected to control energization of two electric light bulbs 241and 242. The bulbs 241 and 242 are preferably located within the cabinet22 adjacent one or more of the storage areas and, in addition to being alight source, also serves as instrument warmers.

The chassis 236 also has mounted thereon four switches, 243 to 246,theswitches 243 and 244 controlling vertical movement of the cabinet andthe switches 245 and 246 controlling the pivoting movement of the headend section of the. top. As shown in FIG. 2, a single pivotally mountedactuator plate 247 for the two switches 243 and 244 is provided, thepivotal axis of the plate extending longitudinally and passing throughsubstantially the horizontal center line of the plate 247. When theplate 247 is pressed adjacent itsupper edge, the upper end moveslaterally inwardly and turns on the switch 243, and when the lower edgevof the plate 247 is pressed inwardly, the other switch 244 is turned on.Release of pressure on either the top or bottom edge of the platepermits it to return, as by spring action to a vertical neutral plane,and the switches'243 and 244 are automatically moved to their offpositions.

Similarly, the actuator plate 248 for the two switches 245 and 246 ispivotally mounted on the same axis as the plate 247. When the plate 248is pressed adjacent its upper edge, the switch 245 is turned on and whenthe plate 248 is pressed adjacent its lower edge, the switch 246 isturned on. When pressure on the plate 248 is .released, the plate 248 ismoved as'by spring action to a vertical plane, and both switches 245and-246 are moved to the off position.

Power to operate the various electrical elements of the. system isderived from a conventional volt, 6O cycle,

power supply, and a three wire electrical connector 247 and cord arepreferably provided to connectthe system to the power supply. One wire2470 of the cord is connected to the chassis to ground it, and the othertwo wires 249 and 250 of the cord are connected in parallel across theoutlets 237 and 238 and the two lights 241 and 242 in the cabinet. Thetwo conductors 249 and 250 are also connected to a female connector 251which is designed to receive a male connector 252 for connecting powerto the power pack, or motor-pump assembly 226.

The power pack 226 comprises a reversible electric motor 254 including arotor 256, one winding 257 which turns the rotor 256 in one directionwhen energized, and another winding 258 which turns the rotor 256 in theopposite direction when energized. The shaft of the rotor.

256 is connected to drive a pump 261 for the hydraulic fluid of thesystem.

Two wires 262 and 263 extend from the male connector 252 to the powerpack 226, and when the two connectors 251 and 252 are coupled together,the wires 262 and 263 are respectively connected to the wires 249 and250. A

third wire 264 is also provided for grounding the power the flow ofhydraulic fluid into and out of the associated.

cylinders. The solenoid of the unit 93 includes a winding or coil 276and the solenoid of the unit includes a.

coil 277. The operation of the valves is such that, when one of thesolenoid coils 276 or 277 is energized by passing electric currentthrough it, the valve of the energized solenoid opens and permits theflow of hydraulic fluid therethrough. Conversely, when the solenoid coilis not energized, the valve closes and effectively prevents the flow ofhydraulic fluid either into or out of the cylinder associated therewith.To energize one or the other of the two solenoids, the terminal 266 isconnected by a wire 278 to the solenoid coil 276, and the terminal 271is connected by a wire 279 to the solenoid coil 277. The terminal board268 also includes four additional terminals 281 to 284 which arerespectively connected to the winding 257, the winding 258, the solenoid277, and the solenoid 276. To selectively energize the motor windingsand solenoid coils, electrical connections must he made be 13 tween theterminal 267 and one of the other four terminals 281 to 284, and this isaccomplished by the four switches 243 to 246.

The four terminals 281 to 284 are connected by wires of a cord 285 to afemale connector 286 which is adapted to mate with a five pronged maleconnector 287 mounted on the side of the chassis 236. The five prongs ofthe male connector 287 are electrically connected to five wires 288 to292 which, when the two connectors 286 and 287 are plugged together, areelectrically connected to the terminals267 and 281 to 284, respectively.Also connected to the five wires 288 to 292 are five additional wires294 to 298 which are connected to a female connector 299 mounted on thechassis 236. The female connector 299 is adapted to mate with a maleconnector 300 which is electrically connected to the floor control panel32. The floor control panel 32' includes four switches (not shown) whichare similar to the switches 243 to 246. Since the two sets of switchesin the two control panels are connected in parallel, it will be apparentthat either one or both may be used to control energization of the motor254 and the two solenoids of the hydraulic units.

The four switches 243 to 246 are identical and the construction ofswitch 244 is shown in detail in FIGS. 18 and 19. FIG. 18 shows switch244 in the oif position and FIG. 19 shows switch 244 in the on position.Switch 244 includes four stationary contacts 302 to 305 mounted within ahousing 307, and a pair of movable contacts 308 and 309. The contacts308 and 309 are electrically connected together by a jumper 311, and thestationary contact 303 is electrically connected by another jumper 312to the jumper 311. The switch also includes a movable button or plunger314 which is actuated by the plate 247 and is designed to move thecontacts 308 and 309 from a position where they electricallyengagestationary contacts 302 and 303 when the switch is in the off position,to a position where the contacts 308 and 309 electrically en-' gage theother pair of stationary contacts 304 and 305 (FIG. 19) when the switchis in the on position. The construction of the switch is such that theplunger 314 moves the movable contacts 308 and 309 and automaticallyreturns the latter to engagement with the stationary contacts 302 and303, which is the 01? position shown in FIG.

18 when pressure on the plunger 314 is released, the movement of thecontacts 308 and 309 being a snap action.

The stationary contacts 302 to 305 are also designated by the numerals 1to 4, respectively, in FIGS. 17 to 19.

With reference again to FIG. 17, wire 288 is electrically connected tostationary contact 302 of switch 243, wire 289 is electrically connectedto stationary contacts 305 and 304 of switches 243 and 245 respectively,wire 290 is electrically connected to contacts 305 and 304 of switches244 and 246 respectively, wire 291 is electrically connected to contacts305 of both switches 245 and 246, and wire 292 is electrically connectedto contacts 304 of switches 243 and 244. In addition another wire 321 isconnected between contacts 303 and 302 of switches 243 and 245respectively, a wire 322 is electrically connected between the contacts302 and 303 of switches 244 and 246 respectively, a wire 323 iselectrically connected between contacts 303 of switches 244 and 245, anda wire 324 is connected between the contacts 302 of the switches 243 and246.

When the upper edge of plate 247 is pressed inwardly to raise thecabinet switch 243 is moved to the on position (FIG. 19) and a circuitis completed through the motor Winding 257 and the solenoid coil 276 andthe power supply along the path including the wire 288 (which leads tothe power supply), wire 324 contacts 302 and 303 of switch 246 (which isin the oil? position) wire 322, contacts 302 and 303 of the switch 244(which is also in the 01? position), wire 323 contacts 303 and 302 ofswitch 245 (which is also in the 01? position), and contact 303 ofswitch 243. Contact 303 is electrically connected through the jumpers311 and 312 to contacts 304 and 305 of switch 243. Contact 304 of switch243 is connected to wire 292, terminal 284, solenoid coil 276, wire 278and terminal 266, while contact 305 of switch 243 is electricallyconnected to wire 289, terminal 281, motor winding 257, wire 272, andterminal 266. Thus the solenoid 276 and the motor winding 257 areelectrically connected, through the switch 243, across the terminals 266and 267, and since the latter two terminals are connected by the wires262 and 263 to the power supply, the solenoid coil 276 and the motorwinding 257 will be simultaneously operated when switch 243 is closed.

Upon energization of the coil 276, the valve for the cylinder 151 isopened, and upon energization of the motor winding 257 the direction ofrotation of the pump 261 will cause fluid flow in such a direction thatthe piston in the cylinder 94 moves toward the foot of the table andcauses the cabinet to rise. When the desired height of the cabinet isreached the operator releases pressure on the plate 247, therebypermitting the switch 243 to return to the off position shown in FIG. 18and open the circuit through the coil 276 and the winding 257.Deenergization of the motor winding 257 halts rotation of the pump 261,and deenergization of the solenoid coil 276 causes the valve to close,which etfectively locks the piston at the adjusted position relative tothe cylinder 94. The cabinet is then held at the adjusted position untileither the switch 243 or the switch 244 is closed.

By the circuit arrangement shown in FIG. 17, it is possiblesimultaneously to raise the cabinet and raise the inclination of thehead end section of the top, or alternately, simultaneously to lower thecabinet and lower the inclination of the head end section of the top.Assuming that the switch 243 has been closed and the cabinet is beingraised as described above, if the switch 245 is also closed by pressingthe upper edge of the plate 248, switch contact 303 of switch 245 willbe electrically connected to contacts 304 and 305. While the circuitthrough switch 243 formerly relied upon a connection between contacts302 and 303 of switch 245 to connect contact 303 and consequentlycontacts 304 and 305 to the power supply, which circuit has beeninterrupted due to the movement of switch 245 to the on position wherecontacts 302 and 304 are electrically disconnected, contacts 304 and 305of switch 243 will still be connected to the power supply due to theconnection between contact 304 of switch 245 and contact 305 of switch243. Consequently, wire 288 will be electrically connected to contacts304 and 305 of both switches 243 and 246 through the circuit includingcontacts 302 and 303 of switch 246 (which is closed), contacts 302 and303 of switch 244 (which is also closed), wire 323, contact 203 ofswitch 245, jumper 311 of switch 245, contacts 304 and 305 of switch245, the electrical connection between contacts 304 and 305 of switches245 and 243, respectively, and contact 304 of switch 243 through thejumper 311 of the latter switch. Consequently simultaneous closing ofthe two switches 243 and 245 results in energization of both solenoidcoils 276 and 277, and motor winding 257,

It would not, however, be possible to simultaneously energize, forexample, the switches 243 and 244 because the plate 247 can be pivotedin only one direction at a time. Similarly, switches 245 and 246 cannotbe energized simultaneously because the plate 248 can be pivoted in onlyone direction at a time. If switch 243 is closed and switch 246 issubsequently closed, the circuit to contact 303 of switch 243, which isthrough contacts 302 and 303 of switch 246, is opened by the closing ofswitch 246. The same result is obtained when switches 244 and 245 areclosed at the same time. Consequently, only one or the other of themotor windings 257 and 258 can be energized at a time.

An analysis of the electrical connections for energizing the winding 258and one or the other, or both simultaneously, of the solenoid coils 276and 277 by closing one or the other, or both, of the switches 244 and246 is move the cabinet to the lowermost position. .An adult pa-- tientcan then readily sit down on the foot end section 112 of the upholsteredtop as though he were sitting on a chair. As for a youthful patient, itis relatively simple for the chlid to climb on to the foot of the endsection of the upholstered top 23. Assuming again that the patient is anelderly person, the patient maysit on the foot end section 112 facingthe foot end of the examining table. The physician then closes switch245 in order to move the cabinet 22, the top 23 and the patient sittingthereon upwardly to a level which is convenient for the physician. Ifthe physician wishes to examine the patient while in a recliningposition, and again assuming that the patient is an adult, the physiciancloses switch 245 to cause the head end section 111 of the upholsteredtop 23 to swing upwardly until it is substantially vertical. The patientthen leans backwardly against the head end section 111 and the physiciancloses switch 246, thereby causing the head end section 111 to swingdownwardly, to the horizontal position with the patient lying on it.After the examination has been completed, the physician returns thepatient to the sitting position by closing switch 245, thereby causingthe head end section 111 to return to the vertical position where thepatient is in a sitting position. Thereafter, the physician closesswitch 244 in order to lower the cabinet 22: and the top 23 with thepatient sitting thereon, until the patients feet either engage or areclose to the floor, and the patient may simple step off or stand up,withlittle or no unusual exertion required.

Of course the head end section 111 of the upholstered top may be swungupwardly before the cabinet is raised and the head end section could beraised after the cabinet is lowered.

The foregoing method of operation is especially advantageous whendealing with heart patients, since an examination may be completedwithout any unusual exertion by the patient. With conventional examiningtables, it is necessary for the patient to climb on to the top ofthetable and lie down, and very frequently it is necessary for thephysician to allow the patient to rest for approximately fifteen minutesor until his pulse rate returns to normal because of the exertioninvolved, before beginning his examination. Thus, the present powerexamining table not only reduces the time required for the examination,but it also makes such an examination safer for a heart patient becauseit eliminates the necessity for the exertion required to climb up on theupholstered top and lie down and then sit up and climb down again afterthe examination.

Similarly, the power examining table makes it easy for a child to climbup on to the upholstered top since the top may be moved downwardly to arelatively low position,

and it is also a simple matter for a very large person to get on to theupholstered top, lie down, and sit up again.

In addition to the foregoing advantages, the power examining table hasthe further advantages that the upholstering of the top 23 is such thata patient lying down on it has a sense or feeling of security because ofthe raised side edges of the top. The foam rubber, while resilient,nevertheless resists a tendency of the patientto roll off of the side,and the presence of the raised sides alone tends to make a patient feelmore secure while lying down on the table. Furthermore, the constructionof the upholstered top at the hinge construction between the foot endand head end sections and the cabinet is such that a very neatappearance is presented and stress or wear areas which might tend towear more rapidly than other areas are eliminated by the bridgingelements at the lower side corners of the upho stered top.

We claim:

1. A physicians examining table comprising a base structure adapted torest on the floor, a cabinet located over said base structure, means insaid cabinet forming.

storage space, a plurality of lever means connected to said basestructure and to the lower portion of said cabinet, and power operatedmeans connected to said lever means for raising and. lowering saidcabinet relative to said base structure, said power operated means beinglocated within the lower portion of said cabinet, whereby the majorportion of said cabinet is available for storage space,

said lever means being spaced apart and extending from said basestructure upwardly to ,said cabinet and below said storage space,.thelower portions of said lever means being connected to said basestructure and the upper portions of said lever means being connected tosaid cabinet, said power operated means also extending below and at oneside of said. means forming said storage space, whereby said lever meansand said power operated means do not interfere with said storage space.

2. A physicians examining table comprising a base structure adapted torest on the floor, a cabinet located over said base structure, saidcabinet including means forming a storage space, a plurality of levermeans connected to said base structure and to the lower portion of saidcabinet, and power operated means connectedto said lever means forraising and lowering said cabinet relative to said base structure, saidpower operated means being located within the lower portion of saidcabinet,. whereby the major portion of said cabinet is available forstorage space, wherein said frames are longitudinally spaced and extendin parallel planes from said base structure upwardly to said cabinet andbelow said storage space, the lower portions of said frames beingconnected to said base structure and the upper portions of said framesbeing connected to said cabinet, said power operated means beingconnected to the .upper portions of said frames, said power operatedmeans also extending gen-.

erally longitudinally of the cabinet below and at one side of said meansforming said storage space, whereby said frames and said power operatedmeans do not interfere with said storage space.

3. A physicians examining table comprising a cabinet 7 adapted to besupported on the floor, a top located over said cabinet, means forpivotally connecting a section of said top to the upper surface of saidcabinet, a lever pivotally mounted adjacent the upper portion of saidcabinet and engaging said section to cause said section to swing aboutits pivotal connection when said lever is pivoted, and power operatedmeans connected to said cabinet and to said lever for pivoting saidlever to cause said section to swing, when said power means is energizedsaid power operated means being located within the upper portion of saidcabinet, whereby the major portion of said cabinet is available forstorage space, said lever extending in a generally vertical plane.upwardly from said cabinet and engaging said top, and said poweroperated means extending longitudinally of said cabinet and adjacent theupper side thereof and being pivotally connected to said lever.

4. A physicians examining table comprising a base,

17 tion of said cabinet and engaging said section to cause said sectionto swing about its pivotal connection when said lever is pivoted, andsecond power operated means connected to said lever and to said cabinetto pivot said lever and cause said section to pivot when said secondpower operated means is energized, said second power operated meansbeing located within the upper portion of said cabinet, whereby themajor portion of said cabinet is available for storage space.

5. A physicians examining table comprising a base structure adapted torest on the floor, a top structure located over said base structure, aplurality of frames, means pivotally connecting the lower portions ofsaid frames to said base structure at longitudinally and laterallyspaced points, means pivotally connecting the upper portions of saidframes to said top structure at longitudinally and laterally spacedpoints, and power operated means pivotally connected to said frames toswing said frames and thereby raise and lower said top structurerelative to said base structure, the spacing of the pivots connectingthe frames to the base structure and the spacing of the pivotsconnecting the frames to the top structure maintaining the top structuresteady when in a raised position, wherein said plurality of framescomprises first and second frames and said first and second frames areparallel to each other, said first frame including a first arm securedto the upper portion thereof, said second frame including a second armsecured to the upper portion thereof, said power operated meansextending between and being pivotally connected to said arms at the freeends thereof, said power operated means being longitudinally extendableand contractable, such extension and contraction effecting raising andlowering of said table.

6. A table as in claim 5, wherein said first arm extends generallyupwardly and away from said second frame, and said second arm extendsgenerally downwardly and away from said first frame.

7. A table as in claim 6, wherein said first arm is longer than saidsecond arm.

8. A table as in claim 6, wherein said first and second arms aresubstantially parallel.

9. A physicians examining table comprising a base structure adapted torest on the floor, a top structure located over said base structure,said top being adapted to support a patient, a plurality of lever means,means pivotally connecting the lower portions of said lever means tosaid base structure at longitudinally and laterally spaced points, meanspivotally connecting the upper portions of said lever means to said topstructure at longitudinally and laterally spaced points, and poweroperated means pivotally connected to said lever means to swing saidlever means and thereby raise and lower said top structure relative tosaid base structure, the spacing of the pivots connecting the levermeans to the base structure and the spacing of the pivots connecting thelever means to the top structure maintaining the top structure steadywhen in a raised position, each of said lever means including an armsecured to the upper portion thereof, said power operated meansextending between and being pivotally connected to said arms, said poweroperated means being extendable and contractable, such extension andcontraction effecting raising and lowering of said top structure.

10. A table as in claim 9, wherein the pivotal connections at the upperportions of each of said lever means are normally longitudinally offseta substantial distance from the pivotal connections at the lowerportions thereof, whereby a line passing through the pivotal connectionsat the upper and lower portions of each of said lever means moves from asubstantially horizontal position to an upwardly inclined position andconsequently the pivotal connections of said lever means with said topstructure move a relatively large vertical distance and a relativelysmall longitudinal distance when said lever means are swung upwardly toraise said top structure.

11. A physicians examining table comprising a top support member, a topmember positioned over said top support member, hinge means connecting asection of said top member to said top support member such that saidsection may be 'swung between a substantially horizontal loweredposition and a substantially vertical raised position, a lever pivotallyconnected to one of said members and engaging the other of said membersfor swinging said section when said lever is pivoted, and power operatedmeans mounted on one of said members and connected to said lever forpivoting said lever when said power operated means is energized, saidlever being pivotally connected to said top member and movably engagingsaid section, said power operated means being mounted on said topsupport member adjacent said lever, said power operated means includinga rod which is movable longitudinally of the table, said rod beingconnected to said lever by a link which is pivotally connected to saidrod and is pivotally connected to said lever, said link pivoting saidlever when said rod is moved longitudinally of the table, wherein saidpower operated means includes means for moving said rod horizontally,and guide means for confining the end of said link which is pivotallyconnected to said rod for horizontal movement.

12. A physicians examining table comprising a top support member, a topmember positioned over said top support member, hinge means connecting asection of said top member to said top support member such that saidsection may be swung between a substantially horizontal lowered positionand a substantially vertical raised position, a lever pivotallyconnected to one of said members and engaging the other of said membersfor swinging said section when said lever is pivoted, and power operatedmeans mounted on one of said members and connected to said lever forpivoting said lever when said power operated means is energized, saidlever being pivotally connected to said top support member and movablyengaging said section, said end of said lever which engages said sectionhaving a roller rotatably mounted thereon, said roller engaging androlling along the underside of said section as said section swings aboutthis pivotal connection, wherein said section is provided with guidemeans on its underside receiving said roller to hold said roller inengagement with said section during swinging movement, said roller beingreleasable from said guide means when said section is in its horizontalposition.

13. A physicians examining table comprising a base structure adapted torest on the floor, a top support positioned over said base structure, atop positioned over said top support, a first mechanism connecting saidbase structure with said top support for raising and lowering said topsupport, a first hydraulic unit connected to actuate said firstmechanism, a second mechanism connecting said top with said top supportfor varying the inclination of said top, a second hydraulic unitconnected to actuate said second mechanism, a reversible motor-pump unitconnected to supply hydraulic fluid to said first and second units,first, second, third and fourth electrical circuits, each of saidcircuits including said motor-pump unit and said circuits respectivelyincluding first, second, third and fourth electrical switches, saidfirst and second circuits energizing said motor-pump unit for rotationin one direction when their respective switches are actuated and saidthird and fourth circuits energizing said motorpump unit for rotation inthe opposite direction when their respective switches are actuated,rotation of said motor-pump unit in said one direction supplying saidfluid to said first and second hydraulic units to raise said top supportand to increase the inclination of said top and rotation of saidmotor-pump unit in said opposite direction supplying said fluid to saidfirst and second hydraulic units to lower said top support and todecrease the inclination of said top, and means connected to saidswitches for preventing one of said first and second switches from beingactuated simultaneously with one of said second and third switches.

14. A table as in claim 13, wherein said last named means comprisesmechanical interlock between said first and third switches and anothermechanical interlock between said second and fourth switches.

15. A table as in claim 14, wherein said last named means furthercomprises an electrical interlock between said first and fourth switchesand another electrical interlock between said second and third switches.

16. A table as in claim 13, wherein each of said first and secondhydraulic units includes a solenoid actuated valve, said solenoid ofsaid first hydraulic unit being con nected in said first and thirdcircuits and being energized when one of said first and third switchesis actuated, and said solenoid of said second hydraulic unit beingconnected in said and fourth circuits and being energized when one ofsaid second and fourth switches is actuated.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1895 Lentz 3l2209 7/1921Sponsel 2544-10 1/1930 Groenke 25410 1/1952 Schnippel 5'68 11/1953Travis 5-68 5/1963 'Burton 312-223 8/1963 f Kaye 5-345 6/1964 Wolf 254108/1964 Lunn 32-22 9/1964 2 Hillenbrand 563 12/ 1964 Hood 5345 12/1965Pruirn 568 FOREIGN PATENTS 4/1961. France.

CHANCELLOR E. HARRIS, Primary Examiner.

1. A PHYSICIAN''S EXAMINING TABLE COMPRISING A BASE STRUCTURE ADAPTED TOREST ONE ON THE FLOOR, A CABINET LOCATED OVER SAID BASE STRUCTURE, MEANSIN SAID CABINET FORMING STORAGE SPACE, A PLURALITY OF LEVER MEANSCONNECTED TO SAID BASE STRUCTURE AND TO THE LOWER PORTION OF SAIDCABINET, AND POWER OPERATED MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID LEVER MEANS FORRAISING AND LOWERING SAID CABINET RELATIVE TO SAID BASE STRUCTURE, SAIDPOWER OPERATED MEANS BEING LOCATED WITHIN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAIDCABINET, WHEREBY THE MAJOR PORTION OF SAID CABINET IS AVAILABLE FORSTORAGE SPACE, SAID LEVER MEANSA BEING SPACED APART AND EXTENDING FROMSAID BASE STRUCTURE UPWARDLY TO SAID CABINET AND BELOW SAID STORAGESPACE, THE LOWER PORTIONS OF SAID LEVER MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO SAIDBASE STRUCTURE AND THE UPPER PORTIONS OF SAID LEVER MEANS BEINGCONNECTED TO SAID CABINET SAID POWER OPERATED MEANS ALSO EXTENDING BELOWAND AT